Kriegsmarine photo albums and Tirpitz

Wonder if anyone can help me with this, to see how original and real these pics are.

One collector is selling this 5-photo-album set of Kriegsmarine photos from the Tirpitz and close-by resting area in Norway. Possibly the name of the marine is Franz Meister and it seems he survived the war as the collection has photos from post-war time.

I include pics from the set. What do you think? Some of the pics definitely seem like propaganda pics included but some look like the real thing, personal photos from the Tirpitz and Norway.

 

More pics...

 

And some more pics...

 

Go for it Kai! There are some prop pics included but that was the case in many albums, so it should not deter you from buying these. The set is Worth 250-350 euros in my opinion. The usual landscape pics are normal too.

 

And some more pics...
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Attached Thumbnails



The picture to the far left shows Kriegsmarine sailors marching across the central square in Trondheim in Norway, you can see the statue of the viking king St. Olav. As we can tell from the shadows, south is to the left on the picture.


Edit: The large building in the background was the Gestapo headquarter.

 

Wonder if anyone can help me with this, to see how original and real these pics are.

One collector is selling this 5-photo-album set of Kriegsmarine photos from the Tirpitz and close-by resting area in Norway. Possibly the name of the marine is Franz Meister and it seems he survived the war as the collection has photos from post-war time.

I include pics from the set. What do you think? Some of the pics definitely seem like propaganda pics included but some look like the real thing, personal photos from the Tirpitz and Norway.
Attached Thumbnails





On the third thumbnail, the two lower pictures are from Bogen in the Ofoten Fjord near Narvik. On the lower left hand picture we are looking westwards, on lower right hand picture we are looking north toward the caracteristic pike of the Mount Niingen. (BTW, I was up there on the mountain during the summer of 2008 on a hydro electric power project.)

 

Am I missing something here? Two separate posters posting the same thing with the same question?

I see some photos in here that would scare me straight. I wouldn't buy any of these without seeing scans of the photos front and back. A simple photo of them doesn't help in my opinion. I would want photo dimensions as well.

Just my .02 cents worth...

Rich

 

Artillery arsenal Narvik ? hmmmmmm better do a bit of research on that Kai, interested all the heavy KM ship fotos look the same size. yes I would be interested in what may be typed or hand written on the back of the fotos as there should be something ?

the Foto-albums could be of more than one crew member or a joint effort of thise serving in Norwegian waters and not just the Tirpitz alone. maybe this should also be asked of the seller as he should be open to answer all questions as a serious buyer. it doe look like this might be a special find and hopeful in the range of all 5 albums for under a 1000 Euros ?

RR think RAM was trying to reformat Kai photos as I for one could not see them directly. something to get us in the mood further for the grand ship - Tirpitz

http://www.kbismarck.com/tirpitz.html

 

Got it! Thanks Erich...makes sense now.

I hope that I am wrong but I think there are some re-prints in there...it looks to me like some 50's Eastern Block photo paper perhaps.

RR

 

Seems like there was German Artillery Arsenals etc like this : "...Naval Arsenal at Trondheim, the Naval Artillery Arsenal at Tromso, the Naval Shipyard at Bergen, and the Repair and Fitting-Out Station at Narvik."

From: Great World War II battles in the Arctic by Mark Llewellyn Evans

 

1000 Euros? Wow, that really sounds exagerated in my opinion.
They are certainly interesting pictures, and I doubt they are reprints from the 50s (although this should not be opted out and needs further investigation) but Tirpitz or not I wouldn't go over 300.

 

All in all there are 600+ pics, 140 negatives, and letters and postcards. Next I intend to find out the percentage of various percentages of photos: pre-war,wartime, Tirpitz period, post-war, also on what time period are the negatives about. Also the possible stamp of the firm that made the pics, and the dates/texts behind the pics.

According to the Tirpitz coloring scheme that group of pics are from spring-early summer 1941, as the gun towers´tops were painted black in July 1941. I do think they are propaganda pics and not private photos so not very valuable.

Tirpitz - Paint Schemes - 1941

 

if propaganda or newer pics obviously you will not see any fading to yellows on the edges or overall. yes Kai ask and you shall receive hopefully the answers if any text and especially dates.

Skip my assumption was for the albums in total that there would be some 1000 fotos or more, 1 pic equaling 1 Euro comparison in my mind. Kai can we ask the asking price of the whole set ? now the letters are from crewmen to their women or vice-versa ?

you may have a real interesting time capsule there // the ship time frame might be before the upper deck quad Flakvierlings were in place........... though the schematic profile does show them with outboard single 2cm Flak. Also note the interesting single ? photo of the three turret barrels with the revolving dark camo on them not in the 1941-42 paint scheme if that was for the Tirpitz it does appear even by this single foto to be a Capital ship.........and now it appears it was a much smaller ship with a swearing in ceremony, two single flak pieces on either side of a large single barrel.

also think you could ask whomever if there are more single portrait fotos-close up and full poses showing awards ?

also one last edit on this posting, note the painting of the zig-zag angles noting the time frame of March 1944 while in Norwegian waters...........

let us know more as you find out.

 

The Germans planned to establish a major shipyard for KM ships at Bogen near Narvik. There was an iron ore mine there with workshops, skilled workers and a deep water harbor facility in Bogen already. The plans never materialized though.

 

look at the war time photos at the museum the camo I commented on may have been from 1943 ?

great simple site. still looking for the ultimate book on the big ship.......

Tirpitz Museum: Home

 

Hi Kai, hard to tell if real or not? From here they look OK with some post war reprints/copies but just too hard for my tired eyes to tell. As for 1,000 Euros for the lot-and if all are originals and such, the price is probably not too far off the mark. A dealer I buy from has a similar lot all belonging to the Gneisenau. 4 Albums I thinK and some other stuff? and his price is about $6,000 US Dollars.

 

Thanx for all the advice Gentlemen! I think I´ll go for a certain price but I guess I´ll have to visit the seller next to see what the 600 photos are all about..

 

Ok , considering the considerable amount of pics + extra potential goodies it might be worth to aim up to 600 euros plus + (that would be an average of 1 euro a pic, some being worth nothing and some several dozens of euros alone. However I wouldn't go further than that . I don't know whether this is the amount you have in mind. Or are you ready to spend more? It's all a matter of offer and demand after all.

 

Personally I have considered paying two euros per pic rather a good price if the photo album is any good. I mean I have pics that would give me 50-60 euros each so 1-2 euros each is not so bad. Also the negatives are from the war time period so something extra. Unfortunately the letters are post-war so pushing the price downwards I think. I have made a 750 euros offer so we´ll see if there will be a deal or if we shall continue negotiating.

 

2 euros a pic may seem cheap , but when added up 600 times that would make 1200 euros... quite an amount. As you say negociating is the key. The amount is a month wage for a factory worker in this country, so it's worth thinking twice. You must be really hooked about this one Kai.
750 euros seems more than a reasonable offer . I hope the man will accept.